is a Japanese professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

currently competing in the

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has also competed for the

RIZIN Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, Bellator, and

Pancrase Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki pr ...

Background

Born and raised in the

Nishinari-ku is one of the 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It contains some shopping and entertainment areas, such as Tamade. It lies directly south of the Namba transport hub and extends further south toward Sumiyoshi Park. It is served by the Nankai Railway line ...

district

Osaka, Japan is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third most populous city in Ja ...

, Kunimoto was a professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...

from the age of 17 until he was 24, when he began training in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

Mixed martial art career

Early career

Kunimoto made his professional debut in 2006 for

, losing via knockout. However, Kunimoto would go on to compile a record of 14-5-2 with one no contest and captured the HEAT Welterweight Championship, subsequently defending his title twice, before being signed by the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kunimoto was originally scheduled to make his

debut at

UFC Fight Night 34 ''UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 34'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 4, 2014, at the Marina Bay Sands in Marina Bay, Singapore. Background This event was the first event the UFC held in S ...

on June 4, 2014, against

Hyun Gyu Lim Lim Hyun-Gyu (born January 16, 1985), often anglicized to Hyun Gyu Lim, is a South Korean mixed martial artist, who formerly competed in the UFC Welterweight division. Mixed martial arts career Biography and early career He first experienced ...

, but instead faced Luiz Dutra Jr. as Lim was promoted to appear in the main event. Kunimoto won via disqualification due to Dutra Jr. landing multiple elbows to the back of Kunimoto's head in the first round. Kunimoto made his next appearance at UFC 174 on June 14, 2014, facing

Daniel Sarafian Daniel Sarafian Gantman (born 21 August 1982 in São Paulo) is an Armenian-Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed in 2018. A professional since 2006, Sarafian has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...

. Kunimoto won via

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

submission in the first round, and earned "Performance of the Night" honors for his performance. Kunimoto then faced Richard Walsh on September 20, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 52 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 52'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 20, 2014, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The event was the third time that the organization hoste ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Kunimoto faced

Neil Magny Aoutneil "Neil" Jacques Magny (born August 3, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Magny ...

on February 14, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 60 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 60'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 14, 2015, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted a ...

. He lost the fight via rear=naked choke submission in the third round. Kunimoto was expected to face

Li Jingliang Li Jingliang ( Chinese: 李景亮; pinyin: Lǐ Jǐngliàng; born March 20, 1988) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes as a welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of December 13, 2022, he is #15 in the UFC welterweight ...

on September 27, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 75 ''UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 75'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 27, 2015, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The event was the fourth that the organization has ho ...

. However, Kunimoto pulled out of the fight in late August citing injury and was replaced by returning veteran

Keita Nakamura is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and grappler currently competing in the Welterweight division of RIZIN. A professional competitor since 2003, he has formerly competed for the UFC, World Victory Road, Pancrase, Shooto, DREAM, ...

. After an extended hiatus, Kunimoto was expected to face

Warlley Alves Warlley Alves Andrade (born 4 January 1991), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2011, Warlley made a name for himself fightin ...

on June 11, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 110 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 110'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on 11 June 2017 at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Background The event was ...

. However, Alves pulled out of the fight on May 19 and was replaced by

Zak Ottow Zachary Ottow (born ) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for King of the Cage. Background ...

. He lost the fight via split decision.

RIZIN Fighting Federation

Kunimoto made the move and signed with Rizin Fighting Federation. He made his against

Satoru Kitaoka , is a Japanese shoot wrestler and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for RIZIN. A professional competitor since 2000, he has also competed for DREAM, Pancrase, DEEP, and World Victory Road. Kitaoka is renowned for his catch wrest ...

on December 29, 2017, at RIZIN World Grand Prix 2017: 2nd Round in a 75kg catchweight bout. Kunimoto won the fight by unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA

In April 2019, news surfaced that Kunimoto had signed a contract with

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

. In his promotional debut, Kunimoto faced

Ed Ruth Edward Lee Ruth (born October 21, 1990) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and freestyle and folkstyle wrestler. He competed in the Middleweight division of Bellator MMA. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was a three-time NCAA ...

at Bellator 224 on July 12, 2019 and lost the fight via TKO in the second round. As the sophomore bout of his Bellator tenure, Kunimoto was expected to face

Neiman Gracie Neiman Gracie Stambowsky (born December 12, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. A two-time Pan-American champion in coloured belts, Gracie medalled at the 2013 black belt World No-Gi Championship be ...

at Bellator 236 on December 21, 2019. However, Gracie had to withdraw from the bout due to an injury and was replaced by

Jason Jackson Jason Jackson (born May 12, 1972) is an American sportscaster and writer. He worked for ESPN from 1995 until 2002 for sending inappropriate messages to a female co-worker. best known as the host of ''NBA 2Night''. Jason is currently the TV Host/C ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Rizin FF

Kunimoto returned to Rizin in order to face Takahiro Kawanaka on November 28, 2021 at Rizin Trigger 1. He won the bout via first-round submission. Kunimoto then faced

Daichi Abe is a Japanese mixed martial artist competing in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division. He is the current List_of_Deep_champions#Welterweight Championship, DEEP Welterweight Champion. A professional mixed martial artist since 2016, he has ...

at Rizin 34 – Osaka on March 20, 2022. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Personal life

Kunimoto and his fiancée have a daughter (born 2019).

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

*Heat **HEAT Welterweight Championship (One time; former) ***Two successful title defenses *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time) vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–9–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Rizin 34 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 20–8–2 (1) , Takahiro Kawanaka , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Rizin Trigger 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:10 ,

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–8–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 236 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–7–2 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 224 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:49 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–6–2 (1) , Ryuichiro Sumimura , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , RIZIN 12 , , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 18–6–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , RIZIN World Grand Prix 2017: Second Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Saitama, Japan is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 17–6–2 (1) ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–5–2 (1) ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:22 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The Broomfield populatio ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4–2 (1) , Richard Walsh , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4–2 (1) ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 174 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4–2 (1) , Luiz Dutra Jr. , DQ (illegal elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:57 ,

Marina Bay, Singapore Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore, surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Ba ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 14–4–2 (1) ,

Edward Faaloloto Edward Faaloloto (born July 15, 1984) is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional from 2009 until 2013, he competed for the UFC, WEC, and Pancrase. Early life Faaloloto was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but moved to Long Beach, Calif ...

, Submission (armbar) , Heat: Heat 27 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 , Hyogo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–2 (1) , Fumitoshi Ishikawa , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Heat: Heat 26 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 1:59 ,

Aichi is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectu ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4–2 (1) , Gyu Myung Lee , Submission (shoulder choke) , Heat: Heat 25 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:40 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4–2 (1) , Seong Won Son , Decision (unanimous) , Heat: Heat 23 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Hyogo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–4–2 (1) ,

Takenori Sato is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and current Welterweight King Of Pancrase. He is the twin brother of professional wrestler Takeshi "Go" Sato. Mixed martial arts career Japan Sato has been a follower of Kazushi Sakuraba. Sato ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Progress Tour 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3–2 (1) , Yu Shiroi , Submission (guillotine choke) , Pancrase: Impressive Tour 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:40 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3–2 (1) , Kengo Ura , Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Impressive Tour 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 8–3–2 (1) , Seiki Ryo , Draw , Pancrase: Passion Tour 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 8–3–1 (1) , Tomoyoshi Iwamiya , Draw , Pancrase: Passion Tour 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 (1) , Yoshifumi Dogaki , TKO (punches) , Pancrase: Changing Tour 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:39 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 (1) , Hiroki Tanaka , Decision (unanimous) , Powergate: Octave , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 (1) , Shingo Suzuki , Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Pancrase: Changing Tour 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 (1) , Tomoyoshi Iwamiya , Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Shining 9 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , NC , align=center, 5–2 (1) , Hirotaka Yoshioka , No Contest , Pancrase: Shining 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:10 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Yu Shiori , Decision (unanimous) , Pancrase: Shining 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–2 , Sotaro Yamada , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Pancrase: Shining 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:42 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Yuta Nakamura , TKO (punches) , Pancrase: Rising 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Mike O'Malley , Submission (triangle choke) , FCC 30: Freestyle Combat Challenge 30 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:33 ,

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Tim Ager , Submission (armbar) , FCC 29: Freestyle Combat Challenge 29 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Masahiro Toryu , Decision (majority) , Pancrase: Rising 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Arito Kishimoto , Decision (majority) , Double R: 3rd Stage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , -

Amateur mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Teruyoshi Aoyama , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Pancrase: Blow 8 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:58 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Masahiro Toryu , KO (head kick) , Pancrase: Blow 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:05 ,

, Japan ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kunimoto, Kiichi Living people 1981 births Japanese male mixed martial artists Japanese practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Osaka Zainichi Korean people Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters